The joy of delivery day should be guilt free: that's why every aspect of our packaging is recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable. For everything in that unmissable green box, there’s a way to recycle or repurpose it. Let’s dive in.

Recycling Lyka’s product packaging

How to recycle Lyka meal pouches

What to do: drop them off at your closest soft plastics recycling facility. You can always contact your council for information specific to your area, but here are a few popular solutions:

• RecyclingNearYou has a search function — enter your postcode, select “Soft Plastics” from the dropdown, and it will give you a list of local soft plastic recycling options.

• Recycle Smart is available in limited areas of NSW, QLD, VIC and SA — they collect soft plastics from your doorstep, dropping them off at a consolidation point in your municipality.

Some soft plastic recycling services require that you wash and dry the pouches before donating, while others don’t. Get in touch with your local service to confirm if this is needed.

What it’s made from: 70% of this packaging is made from a bio-based sugarcane plastic. Lyka is the first company in Australia to use this material in this way: it’s a lower carbon alternative to our previous packaging, which was a soft plastic made from fossil fuels (with fewer ways for you to dispose of it).

How to recycle Lyka treats packaging

What to do: our treats packaging is completely biodegradable — you can put it in your compost bin, or your regular general waste bin — it’ll break down in about 3-8 months. That’s less than the two years it takes for a banana peel to decompose!

What it’s made from: paper — with an internal coat of PLA (compostable plastic made from fermented plant starch), which makes the packaging airtight. This means our treat pouches are 100% biodegradable, and no microplastics result from its disintegration.

Desiccant

A desiccant sachet is a small packet, filled with a material that absorbs moisture from the environment it's placed in — you'll find it, for example, in Lyka's treats packaging.

What to do: desiccant is used in packaging for many types of products: leaving many opportunities for reuse! You can repurpose these small sachets to stop jewellery from tarnishing, or to preserve the life span of your favourite pair of leather shoes. If you can’t find a use for them, dispose in your regular rubbish bin.

What they’re made from: clay wrapped in paper, rather than plastic — these are safer, and better for the environment. They are just as effective at absorbing moisture, protecting your pup’s food from humidity on its journey to your door.

How to recycle Lyka supplements packaging

What to do: you can pop the tray and outer packaging in your home recycle bin. The tray cover can be recycled at a soft plastic recycling vendor near you.

What it’s made from: the tray is made from recycled PET plastic, with a soft plastic cover to maintain the longest shelf life possible. The outer packaging is 99% recycled cardboard.

Managing other packaging from your delivery

Box

What to do: this can go straight into your recycling bin — with all your other boxes, bottles, and paper scraps.

What it's made from: Lyka boxes are made from 100% recyclable materials.

Wool liner

What to do: you can put the wool liner in your regular rubbish bin or an organics bin — if your council has this option.

One clever customer (Caroline, Hamilton's parent) discovered that the wool liner is perfect for food and kitchen organics (FOGO) bins. Al you need to do is cut off the biodegradable plastic, and it neutralises any odours while keeping the bottom of the bin clean. The wool gets taken away when the compost bin is emptied — just in time for you to replace it with a new woolly square from your next Lyka delivery!

There are plenty of ways to get creative, with our pack using this for:

• An alternative to mulch, or part of a worm or compost farm

• Packing delicate items when moving

• Insulation in caravans and bedheads

• Extra padding when their pup’s bed needed extra comfort

You could consider giving the excess wool to friends, family, or neighbours who might have a use for it — or post it for free via Facebook Marketplace. It’s also possible other parents might want your insulation: just ask Monica from our Facebook group for existing customers: she posted a callout for spare wool to complete her deck construction!

What it’s made from: our wool insulation and its lining are completely recyclable, and will biodegrade within 6 months.

Paper insulation

What to do: you can put it in your recycling bin, or use it to insulate things in your day-to-day life. You could use it to line shopping bags to keep your groceries chilled!

What it’s made from: our paper insulation is completely recyclable — it’s made from recycled paper.

Ice packs

What to do: pop them in the freezer and reuse them — whether it’s on your next picnic or in lunchboxes. If you can’t find a use for them, you can defrost them; empty the contents; and recycle them via the same soft plastic methods mentioned above.

What they’re made from: soft plastic. But sit tight and watch this space: we’re currently working with our suppliers to develop a new type of ice pack material made from paper.

Tape

What to do: this can go straight into your recycling bin — with all your other boxes, bottles, and paper scraps.

What it's made from: the tape used on Lyka boxes is made from 100% recyclable materials.

Have we missed something you’d like to know how to recycle? Get in touch with our friendly Customer Care team: we'll continue to update this guide, as we innovate and find ways to reduce our impact as a pack.